Ex-Rowe High School valedictorian helps build satellites launched into space

Jahshan Bhatti said he was at the right place at the right time.

Bhatti, who was McAllen Rowe High School’s youngest valedictorian at the age of 15 and continued his studies in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, was approached by a fellow student at the university to help with creating satellites.

Two years later, the satellite he worked on was launched into space.

In June, two 5-inch, cube-shaped “picosatellites” — each a bit larger than a Rubik’s Cube — went up with the space shuttle Endeavor. The mission was a joint project between NASA’s Johnson Space Center, UT Austin and Texas A&M University-College Station, according to a news release from UT Austin.

The goal of the June mission was to see if the satellites could break away from the shuttle, separate from each other, collect positioning data, and relay that information to a ground station. It was the first of four missions planned over eight years that seek to create satellites that can break away from a shuttle, then each other, collect data, then reconnect — all without human control, according to UT Austin.

Bhatti’s role was to develop the software and communications systems for the satellites.

“It was tons of fun,” said Bhatti, who graduated from Rowe in 2006 and received his bachelor’s degree in engineering in May.

So far, it appears the satellites have not separated, but Bhatti said he and fellow engineering students remain hopeful.

“Right now we’re crossing our fingers,” he said.

Regardless of this mission’s outcome, Bhatti said having the opportunity to work on such a project helped him better understand how NASA operates.

He recommends that others interested in studying engineering get involved in projects, whether they are in aerospace, civil engineering or in other branches of the discipline.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.